These are some of the sweet children at the children's home I'm at this month (Picture credit goes to WR Emily Wright )
Question # 2/3 : The U.S.A Effect
How do you think returning to the U.S. will affect you? What are the big things that you will look at differently?
Well, besides affecting the food that goes into my stomach and the number of showers I can take in a month, Praise the Lord! I think returning to the states will challenge the ways I've grown in the faith this year.
Most of the truths that God has revealed to me go against the norms of westernized culture. However, since the Lord has opened my eyes to new truths I am now accountable for walking in those ways.
I could do one of two things when I come home. (A) I could come home and do the easy thing. I could melt back into fitting in, being normal, deciding my own path, trying to control my finances, my job, and all my decisions, orrr (B) I could come home and run against the crowd. I can ask the Lord his will every day and take the many leaps of faith that he asks of me daily.
Every apostle and disciple in the history of the bible has had to be the odd man out in order to follow God’s will and I don’t think it’s any different in today’s society, accept that, thankfully, I probably won’t get stoned or thrown in prison for being bold in my faith. I’ll just get some funny looks and some people who disagree with the way I live. It doesn’t sound so bad when I type it out but I know that when I’m met with the challenge in reality it will probably be a big challenge at first because I don’t like it when people don’t like when people dislike me.
Question # 3 What are the big things that you will look at differently?
1. The way I judge people.
It’s really hard to see people with all their gadgets, possessions, financial security plans, cozy jobs and homes but then to hear that they don’t have the money to help others when people living in dirt huts, no electricity, no water, and malnourished bellies would gladly give their only possessions or their last bits of food away. BUUUUT what I’ve learned is that it doesn’t matter! I can control how I use my time, money, etc and I control how I love every person I get to come in contact with. I want my eyes to be focused SOLELY on the Lord and the reflection of my actions back onto him. I have no authority to be the judge of anyone. I don’t want to fall back into loving my things but more than that I won’t fall back into judging others. My eyes will be on judging my own actions and not others.
2. The way I spend my time
I didn’t realize how important taking time out of every day to spend in prayer and reading was until this year.
I think I will also try to be in less of a rush in life. I want to spend less time focused on getting where I need to be and getting stuff done and focus more on the people and opportunities to care about the people around me in any setting.
For example, when I’m on a mission to get things at the store I often completely pass up opportunities to talk with a stranger that tried to say hello or encourage a friendly cashier or really listen to the guy in aisle 5 that wanted to tell me about his whole life. I rush to say ok and bye, when the food I’m getting is meaningless but taking a few minutes for those conversations, for noticing people may have changed that persons whole day or changed their heart, maybe God had a divine appointment planned and I completely blew it off.
3. Poverty is the #1 biggest thing I will look at differently.
I don’t even know where to begin with that one. What I do know is, even though the money in my bank account couldn’t even pay 1 month of bills at home and all my comfort possessions have been stolen, given away, or sold, shoes, clothes, and food…ANY FOOD has never felt like such a luxury as they do to me now. I get to come home to a country where I can get a job if I’m willing; I get to come home to a place where people have houses, transportation, and food in abundance. Praise the Lord! I’ll be honest, I can’t wait to walk into some one's house and crash on a couch while I eat a tub of ice cream and watch those boxes with pictures… I think they are called T.V.s? I will be very glad the day I get to eat food that I don’t have to pick the flies and ants out of. The thought of washing my clothes in a washing machine and then drying them in a dryer makes me want to cry tears of happiness. Ugh and a shower, with a shower curtain, indoors, with HOT water…I’m getting off track. What I’m saying is I used to think I knew what financial poverty was then the Lord flipped that boat upside down and smashed it with the force of a thousand hurricanes. I will never be as financially impoverished as the people I’ve seen and I will not take for granted the pleasures of life that seemed so normal before. I’ve also realized that while there may not be immense financial poverty, there is so many different kinds of spiritual poverty at home that I didn’t see before.
I’m ready to start pouring out everything I have at home even more than I’ve been able to do on this mission field. The Lord is still working out my selfishness. I’m an incredibly selfish person but when I step of the plane in the great U.S of A I want to be able to say, without hesitation, If you want something I own you can have it!
